The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-05-14

primary material. These privileges ex-
tended to certain craftsmen attached to
the manufacture of blades, such as the
acraladorcs, or Publishers. and rdi''eros,
or filters. The iron and blades of Spain
were renowned in France in the Mid
die Ages.
Ancient records make mention OF the
'Jer d. Espagne," and Froissart speaks
Of short Spanish blade. Mediva re-
lates that Francis III, returning to
Madrid, behold young. unbearded
youths, who carried swords by their
sides, upon which the king said: 20
thrice happy Spain! wherein are born
children and men ready armed" The
Toledo blades are highly esteemed in
England, as shown by several passages
in Ben Jonson, Butler and Shakespeare.
1t is scarcely necessary to say that the
espadas Toledanas were not less priced
in Spain.
The author of the "Vida de Lazarillo
de Tornes," who wrote in 1925, thus
causes Toledan squire, who served
his hero. to speak of sword: %. if
thou only knewest, boy. what weapon
have here! Not for ali the yellow gold
in the world would / sell it; for in all
the blades that Antonio hath wrought,
none equaleth this one"
The steel used by the espadcros OF
Madrid was obtained in an iron mine,
situated about three miles from Man
dragon, in the Basque provinces.
victorious sword! Thy blade is of
Mandragon. and thou vast tempered at
Toledo"
According to Palomeus, Toledan
sword-maker of the last century, tits an
error to suppose that the Toledans pre-
served particular secrets for the temper
ing of their arms. They were COM
PEELED to use the water of the Tagus, as
well as the fine white sand that the
river contains in its bed. The sand, to
the experts, served for the operation OF
what they termed refrescar Ia calda. to
cool the heat; for when the metal be-
came red, and commenced to throw of
sparks, the espaderos instantly sprinkled
it with this sand. The blade formed,
they proceeded to temper it in the fol-
lowing manner: Part of the middle Of
the fire was followed out, and in the
hollow was placed the blade, so that
four-fifths of it only was exposed to the
fire. the tongue and hilt resting outside.
The blade having become cherry red.
they plunged the point into wooden
reservoir, full of the water of the Tag'ls;
and having once cooled it, they straight
ened it as much as was desirable. They
then subjected such of the blade as had
not hitherto been exposed to the fire;
and when it commenced to redden,
they took it by the tongue with red-hoi
pinchcrs. and plunged it into sheep suet
until it cooled, an operation which i'm
parted temper to it.
The most ancient Toledan espadero,
or sword-maker, of whom mention il
made, is Julian. surnamed ell Moro, oI
the Moor. on account Of his coming
from Granada, where he worked TOWARD
the end of the fifteenth century for Kine
Boabdil. They also surnamed hin
Julian del Ray, because apon his con
version to Christianity, had for god
father no less illustrious parsonage
than Ferdinand, the Catholic.
| Having hired conveyance drawn b.
pair Of gayly caparisoned mules, thu
driver wearing pork-pie hat and ,
blood-red sash, was driven out to thu
Fabrica de Armas. which is situated'or
the right bank of the Tagus. about ,
mile and half outside of the city walls
This sole mandatory of Toledan blade
is very unpretentious building of rec
tangular form, completed, as the in
scription over the entrance informed
me, in 1880. Charles I'LL, who mad
so many efforts to encourage Spanisl
manufacture, resolved upon revivifyin,
the ancient craft of the espaderos, ant
constructed the factory. So low ha'
the reputation Of the Toledan espadero
fallen, that the king was compelled t
send to Valencia for d maker Of swords
Luis Calisto, whom he appointed di
rector Of the works.
Avery polite, mutton-chop whiskere'
official escorted me over the works
for this mandatory is to-day used il
the fabrication of arms for the army
and explained the process for sword
making in use at present. The ancien
mode of manufacture has been aban
doned, both as regards forging an
tempering, whilst the iron now employee
comes from Germany. The sand of tn
Tagus is no longer used, and the shee
suet is replaced by soap. However. tn
arms still turned out are of exceilen